The following “Southwest Standard” SMS Student
Newspaper article by Reporter, Justin Brase ran in the January 28, 2005
edition and is reprinted on the SMS Bears Hockey Club Website with
permission from the Southwest Standard and Reporter, Justin Brase.

Even though the forward was persuaded into the role of a
leader on his team, he relishes his responsibility.

“Last year, I was pushed into the leader’s role, but I
like being the person saying, ‘Hey, this is what we need to do.’ I like
that aspect of being a leader,” Odenwald said.

According to Odenwald, while his skills may not have
improved from last season, he is mentally seeing the ice better and his
communication skills have gotten better.

Odenwald, who is nicknamed “O.D.” said the fast pace of
the game is what enticed him.

“It’s so fascinating,” Odenwald said. “You can’t go
anywhere else and pick up hockey, really, because you have to play it on
ice. It’s such a fast moving sport, and I love doing things at a fast
pace.”

The forward says he facets his game after a former St.
Louis Blues player nicknamed “The Rat”.

“Scott Mellanby is my type of player,” Odenwald said. “He
doesn’t have all the skills, but he’s a hard worker and does what he needs
to do to get the job done.”

But there’s a good chance the SMS player won’t get to see
his favorite player lace up this season.

As the National Hockey League (NHL) lockout enters its
134th day, Odenwald said he doesn’t see a 2004-05 season being played.

“It’s not gonna happen this year,” Odenwald said. “If it
doesn’t come back this year, it’s not going to come back, or at least it
won’t be as big and it was. But I hope they do come back.”

According to the sophomore, as he looks toward his
future, playing professionally would certainly entice him, but the highest
level he could see himself playing would be with a team such as the
Missouri River Otters of the United Hockey League, a few levels below the
NHL.

Odenwald said he is focused right now on earning his
degree

The next opponent for the Ice Bears is the University of
Missouri Jan. 29-30 when they will play two games at the Washington Park
Ice Rink in Jefferson City, Mo.

Jordan Valley Ice Park Drops the Puck on the Jr.
Bears House Hockey League in 04/05The Jordan Valley Ice Park has
initiated a new youth hockey league this season designed to provide a
low-cost option for area youth interested in playing youth hockey.

The Ice Park initiated the Jr. Bears House Hockey League
with the support of the SMS Ice Bears to give more Springfield area kids
an opportunity to play and compete in youth hockey. The program is
designed to instruct basic hockey skills during practices and games.

The Jr. Bears House Hockey League will offer games
between teams that are members of the league and all games will be played
at the Jordan Valley Ice Park with no team travel. The League is designed
to broaden the opportunities for youth hockey and increase interest in the
still relatively new ice sports available in Springfield. It also gives
players an opportunity to move into the Springfield Youth Hockey
Association (SYHA) "Jr. Spirit" teams based at Jordan Valley Ice
Park.

The SMS Ice Bears coaches and team members are serving as
instructors and advisors to the coaches and players in the JVIP Jr. Bears
House Hockey League.

Participation in the League is open to young people 18
and under for a fee of $125 for the 10-week program. Hockey equipment
rental packages, including special first-time player rates, are available
at the JVIP Pro Shop. Registration forms are available at the Jordan
Valley Ice Park.

Ice Bears Win Two of Six Games in January... Both
Wins at HomeThe SMS Ice Bears gained two victories on home ice in
January taking two wins from the St. Louis University Billikens on Friday,
January 21st and Saturday, January 22nd.

Bears Forward Eric Dalton netted three goals for a hat
trick in the Friday night 10-0 win. Sophomore Joel Livingston added two
goals and an assist with Andy Hellwig, Dan Odenwald, Andy Werkmeister,
Kent Adams and Bobby Saitta each adding goals. Bears Sophomore Defenseman
John Timmerberg provided three assists in the victory on goals scored by
Adams, Livingston and Dalton. Bears Goaltender Michael Brown shut out the
Bills on 17 Bills shots. Scoring in the game saw the Bears go up 1-0 in
the first period, add 4 goals in the second and finish strong with 5 goals
in the third period in front of over 600 Bears fans filling the main
grandstands to capacity and standing room.

The road in January was not very pleasant for the Ice
Bears as the Palmer College Dragons took two games from the Bears on
Friday, January 14th and Saturday, January 15th at the Quad Cities Sports
Center in Davenport, Iowa. It was the first ever meeting between the two
Mid-America Collegiate Hockey Association league rivals.

The Friday night game saw Bears Defenseman Jake Mowry and
Forward Bobby Saitta find the back of the net in the first period for a
2-1 Bears lead over the Dragons. Dan Odenwald notched a goal in the second
period for SMS as the Dragons went by SMS with 3 goals and took a 4-3 lead
going to the final period. The Bears tied the game on a sizzling hot Joel
Livingston slapshot from the blue line early in the third period. Palmer
took a 5-4 lead and SMS Freshman Forward Josh Conlin lit up the net to tie
the game again.

The game finished with Palmer taking a 6-5 lead with 7:06
remaining and getting a 7-5 victory after Bears goaltender Michael Brown
was pulled from the net for a 6 man attack with a minute left and the
Dragons got an empty net goal ten seconds later.

Saturday night at the Quad Cities Sports Center was not
the Bears night as the Dragons came out with 2 goals in each of the first
two periods and shut down the Bears scoring to take a 4-0 lead into the
final period. The Bears kicked up their game in the third period as a new
Bears team member, Forward Adam Crnko scored his first goal as a Bear just
30 seconds into the period. The Dragons came back with a goal at the 3
minutes left mark and the final score stood at 5-1 in favor of the
Dragons.

The end of January found the Bears on the road to the
State Capitol Building in Jefferson City, Missouri and to the Washington
Park Ice Arena in Jefferson City to face the Missouri University Tigers in
a Saturday, 8pm game and a Sunday noon game on January 29th and 30th. The
Tigers carried a 15-7 record into the games and stood 12-0 in leading the
MACHA League Silver Division. The Tigers gained a hard fought 5-4 win over
the Bears on Saturday night and came back Sunday at noon to notch a 7-2
victory over SMS in what has become a strong in-state rivalry between the
two teams.

The Bears Jefferson City trip included a team meal at the
Missouri State Capitol Building and a tour of the Capitol Building
including visits and team photos inside the chambers of the Missouri House
of Representatives and the Missouri Senate. The Bears team would like to
thank State Senator Larry Taylor of Shell Knob, Missouri and the 29th
Senatorial District and his assistant in Jefferson City, Janet Ritter for
their coordination of the tour and exceptional hospitality.

SMS gave the Missouri Tigers a major scare in the final
period of the Saturday night loss netting 3 goals in one of the best Bears
periods of the season falling two “off the post” shots short of sending
the game to overtime. Mizzou built a 5-1 lead through the first two
periods getting a 1-0 first period lead in front of a near full house
crowd of over 400 fans in the Washington Park Ice Arena. SMS veteran
Junior Forward Andy Hellwig found the net in the second period to post the
first Bears goal of the game.

The Bears brought out the SMS firepower in the third
period with Hellwig notching his and the Bears second goal early in the
period. Forward Eric Dalton and veteran Junior Andy Werkmeister added
goals in a third period that saw SMS spend most of the period pounding MU
goaltender Tim Fandry in the SMS offensive zone. Dan Odenwald and Jon
Baeten added two assists each in the SMS scoring column. SMS Head Coach
Benjamin Alexander gave goalie Michael Brown the “go to the bench” signal
with 50 seconds left in the period and the six man Bears attack fired away
with MU Goalie Fandry stopping the Bears to gain the MU victory.

The Sunday game in Jefferson City started with a hard
fought first period that ended tied 1-1 on the strength of a brilliant
“thread the needle pass” from Junior Forward Kent Adams to Bears Forward
Tim Fitzgerald giving him a breakaway and a goal faking out MU Goalie Tim
Fandry and scoring one minute after MU had notched the lead goal at the 15
minutes into the period mark. The Tigers came out strong in the second
period and shut out the Bears 3-0 taking a 4-1 lead into the final period.
Bears Forward Andy Hellwig got the Bears second and last goal as Mizzou
added another 3 goal performance in the period gaining a 7-2 win over SMS
in front of 225 fans including a large contingent of SMS fans.

SMS finished the January games with an overall record of
11-20 going into the final four games of the Ice Bears season. In
February, the Bears finish their season hitting the road to East Alton,
Illinois and the East Alton Ice Arena to face the MACHA League - Gold
Division leading Southern Illinois University – Edwardsville Cougars in
two games with the opening faceoffs at 7pm on Friday and Saturday nights,
February 4th and 5th. The Cougars also feature the MACHA league top
scorer, SIU-E Forward Sean Walls. The Bears return home to Jordan Valley
Ice Park for their final two 04/05 season games taking on the University
of Illinois Fighting Illini in Friday and Saturday night 7pm games on
February 11th and 12th.

Tickets are on sale through SMS Tix for the 2/11 and 2/12
games and the Ice Bears will also be selling discount 2/12 game tickets
for $3.00 at the Ice Bears booth at the Sertoma Clubs Chili Cook-Off event
from 10am to 4pm at the Springfield Expo / Convention Center on February
12th.